KNOWLEDGE BASE - ethics resources from UK, Europe and the WorldThis resource will be added to over the coming months, focusing on resources that complement Research Ethics Framework activities. If you have a website or other resource you would like to see included here, send us details.

UNESCO ~ globally-orientated reports on ethics, including the International Declaration on Human Genetic Data, the World Commssion on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) and much more...

United Kingdom

Government, NHS, and other key resources

Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC) ~ co-ordinates the development of operational systems for Local and Multi-Centre Research Ethics Committees (LRECs and MRECs), on behalf of the National Health Service in England and several other related tasks. Includes useful round-up of links to sites relevant to its responsibilities.

UK Research Ethics Committees ~ all relevant current regulations and references concerning policy for, and operation of, RECs will be available shortly on this site, currently under construction.

Working Group on Ethical Review of Student Research in the NHS ~ COREC body providing advice on how ethical review of student research might best be undertaken, within remit of the wider Research Governance Framework. Recently published analysis and draft proposal to establish Student Project Ethics Committees (SPECS).

Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) ~ advice to prospective depositors regarding copyright, data protection, informed consent, and confidentiality, from the UK Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS).

Medical Research Council ~ principal UK funder of medical research. Includes patient information in medical research, together with other MRC ethics guidelines.

Academic centres for ethics research

Centre for the Study of Global Ethics ~ hosts the PropEur project, a EU-funded project to compare and analyse ethical and legal guidelines applicable to new biotechnologies and related areas, in addition to a number of other projects.

ESRC Research Methods Programme ~ the Programme forms part of the UK ESRC's strategy to improve the standards of research methods across the UK social science community. Useful site related to research ethics, based at the Centre for Survey Research, University of Manchester.

University of Southampton 'informed consent and the research process' project ~ part of the ESRC Research Methods programme, with four papers plus an annotated bibliography, with more resources to be added in the months ahead. The project will identify and disseminate best practice in relation to informed consent for researchers working in the areas of childhood, youth, ageing and health.

Association of Research Ethics Committees ~ 'independent, self-governing body of Research Ethics Committees, local and multi-centre, including their members and administrators', providing training and advice and 'the opportunity to speak with one voice about the many difficult issues they face'. Dec 2003 newsletter debates idea of professionalising RECs.

Europe

RESPECT ~ project funded by European Commissionís Information Society Technologies (IST) Programme, to draw up professional and ethical guidelines for the conduct of socio-economic research. The guidelines are intended to form the basis of a voluntary code of practice covering the conduct of socio-economic research in Europe, and are based on a synthesis of the contents of existing codes, together with current EU legal requirements - NOTE: guidelines now out for consultation. Site also includes useful links to other resources.

CODEX ~ key Swedish project to codify ethics guidelines across a range of disciplines and research areas - currently in Swedish, but now funded to provide English translation.

SSHWC Report to PRE - Giving Voice to the Spectrum", June 2004 ~ The Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics (PRE) and its Social Sciences and Humanities Research Ethics Special Working Committee (SSHWC) - results of the consultation of the social sciences and humanities research community on research ethics issues.